Started: November 17, 2023 | Finished: December 4, 2023

The Year's Best Science Fiction 35 (2017)

Gardner Dozois

The Year's Best Science Fiction book cover

Just wanted to note some trends that I noticed running through some of the stories in this collection:

"The Moon Is Not a Battlefield" by Indrapramit Das

Loved it. The first story in this collection and it's a winner

This story is about a veteran soldier who was bred for fighting in the moon but has since fallen on hard times because her service is no longer needed.

Das manages to give this story great depth. It is a discussion of mankind's expansion beyond earth, new technologies that open up space, political and economic policies and changes and the place of morality as these changes are brought to bear and make now possibilities reachable. It is also a very personal account and I find the resilience of the main character, Gita, inspiring.

"My English Name" by R.S. Benedict

The fact that the author - as mentioned in Dozois's introduction to the story - spent some time as an English teacher in China gives this story a lot of "street cred". China is a backdrop; front and center is a story about a creature. There is a definite fantasy flavor to this story. I loved the build up but I did not know how Benedict would end it and was a bit worried. It was needless worry, she ends this story perfectly. I was chuckling at the end from "body horror" tingles. So science fiction, with a little fantasy and a little body horror. This story really delivers.

"An Evening with Severyn Grimes" by Rich Larson

The core of this story is the not unfamiliar plot of a rich guy being kidnapped by disgruntled members of society. The first twist comes with the introduction of somebody from the kidnapping team that has an agenda of her own. Add to this a very rich helping of futuristic tech including something called puppeteering - an alternative to cloning. My only gripe with this story is that I felt confused the first few pages but soon found my footing and was able to appreciate this solid tale.

"Vanguard 2.0" by Carter Scholz

This is about a person who works in earth orbit; specifically with drones from a space station. The story has some enjoyable hard science stuff related to the work but it also has a geopolitical discussion that touches on mankind's framework for governance which is currently the nation state. I love the way the story presents this "discussion point" and the subtle way it concludes the discussion. There is no hard conclusion here but a very subtle and well-crafted denouement to the discussion. In terms of the storyline, I found the read very engrossing at all times with that dash of excitement near the end.

"Starlight Express" by Michael Swanwick

I am struck by the level of confidence of the prose in this straightforward story. I found the explanation of the mystery at the center of the tale to be ingenious. Just as I am on the verge of thinking that this is a very simple tale I note certain details and come to the conclusion that it has more depth than I originally thought. Masterful.

"The Martian Obelisk" by Linda Nagata

This story is all about what happens next when mankind has lost. Our civilization is slowly collapsing on Earth. We made an attempt to colonize Mars but it was stillborn. So what next? Next is to admit defeat and build a structure on Mars to say - long after all of us are gone - that "humans were here". So that's it; it's over. Or is it? This story has something to say about the hazards of playing prophet and the wisdom of never losing hope.

"We Who Live in the Heart" by Kelly Robson

This is a comparatively longer tale of nearly 40 pages. It's also the first story of this collection that found me thinking about it allegorically. Most of humanity live in a subsurface environment but a few decide to live risky lives on th surface. Ergo, the surface dwellers are the mavericks, entrepreneurs, celebs and the subsurface people are all the rest of us.

The worldbuilding is very enjoyable and but I have issues with the ending. The so-called happy resolution seems forced here, with Robson - through one of the characters - insinuating that everyone lives happily ever after. I go through the details and I'm doubtful; I think we leave our band of heroes in a darker place from were we found them.

"Winter Timeshare" by Ray Nayler

A story does not have to contain mystery or a big problem that needs solving to be effective. "Winter Timeshare" is proof of that. It is a slice-of-life story involving knowledge workers from the future - who seem to be figurativly but not literally dead - during their vacation. I found it honest, fascinating, and brilliantly futuristic.

"Dear Sarah" by Nancy Kress

This story is about the economy getting both saved and ruined by the introduction of alien technology - aliens included. It is also about a young military recruit. Her story shows the simple truth that life can come in and mess with a person. What she does here is make the right choices, it doesn't spare her from pain but making the right choices counts for a lot.

"Night Passage" by Alistair Reynolds

A ship comes across a strange artifact in space. It is dangerous but not more dangerous than the machinations of the passengers of the ship. Like a good magician Reynolds calls our attention to an aspect of the story while something else is going on where we are not looking.

"The Dragon That Flew Out of the Sun" by Aliette de Bodard

This is about a war that happened between two groups in the fringes of a multi-planet Empire. It is about the diaspora of that war on both sides and how the conflict continues to affect their lives. The story is a powerful catalyst for thinking about how much of the past should be allowed to impact the present. The ultimate message is very wise: Let go and move on.

"Waiting Out the End of the World in Patty's Place Cafe" by Naomi Kritzer

The title of the story is pretty much the synopsis of the story. I was riveted by the narrative. I mean, it is the end of the world. And how would it end you ask? Asteroid. Dinosaur-style.

"The Hunger After You're Fed" by James S. A. Corey

This is about the impact of basic income on society. I don't think it should be in this collection because it in't science fiction, it's economics. Plus, it talks about a mystery writer and some kind of epiphany regarding this writer, an epiphany that went over my head.

"Assassins" by Jack Skillingstead and Burt Courtier

This is about a unique type of assassin as well as a new kind of relationship that could very well happen to us soon. The buildup was great but the ending not so much.

"The Martian Job" by Jaine Fenn

This is a novella, and the longest read in the collection so far. Worth the read. The backdrop is when humanity has gone beyond Earth and has started occupying the solar system. By this time our worst fear regarding AIs have come to pass. In terms of goveranance, there is one giant corporation that dominates humanity with a number of smaller factions existing independently. This story is about a heist that changes the status quo and the fate of humanity.

It story starts slowly but when it gets to the actual heist the pace increases to thriller levels. The ending is thoroughly satisfying.

"The Road to the Sea" by Lavie Tidhar

This is a post apocalyptic tale describing a simple trek to the seashore. The author could have very easily lost balance on this one and have it sounded preachy but it isn't. Rather, it is comforting and refreshing - like peace after a terrible, terrible time.

"Uncanny Valley" by Greg Egan

This is the story of an artficial human - a copy of a man who has just died. The thing is he is only a partial copy, meaning he has memory gaps. These memory gaps bother him because they might be hiding a murder. The denouement of this story is so subtle that I had to go over the last pages twice to understand the satisfying ending.

"The Worldless" by Indrapramit Das

In the waystation between worlds are humans bred to service that station. They have no means of traveling themselves. Das gives us a lot of SF goodness here but the core of his story is about our humanity. Flawlessly written.

"Pan-Humanism: Hope and Pragmatics" by Jessica Barber & Sara Saab

This story gives an incredibly detailed glimpse of the future, not just in terms of tech but also in terms of human relationships both social and personal. Wow, I may never live to see this future but it's nice to experience it now, through this story.

"Ziguener" by Harry Turtledove

Ziguener means gypsies or the Romani or Roma peoples. This story shows the nazis rounding up the Ziguener to take to concentration camps in Poland. It's very well told but still, what is this story doing in a science fiction compilation?

"The Proving Ground" by Alec Nevala-Lee

The proving ground is about efforts in the Marshall Islands to adjust to global warming. There is a team there that is focused on creating an artificial island. In the midst of their work, the birds around the island start acting strangely. There is a strong current of mystery running through this SF tale. Satisfyingly, Nevara-Lee manages to weave several thought-provoking layers into his tale. There is the environmental layer, the geo-political layer, and the personal one.

"Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance" by Tobias S. Buckell

This is a story set in space about a massive colony slash constuct that has just won a conflict. It focuses on a maintenance droid who used to be a human being. Actually, all the robots in this story used to be human beings - wait a minute. Use to be? I mean they are still human beings - just with hardware bodies. If you like your SF with lots of tech and an outer space location you are going to love this story. In the fine tradition of all the best SF tales, underneath all the gadgetry and physics, this tale is about being human.

"The Influence Machine" by Sean McMullen

This is thoroughly delighful story where we are taken to alternative Victorian England where a young woman is a technological master. Acknowledgement of her achievement is occluded by the gender prejudices of the time.

"Canoe" by Nancy Kress

Humanity's first contact with extraterrestrial life is the subject of this story. It is a masterful blend of hard angles of tech and physics with the "messiness" of being human. Grabs hold and never lets go and stays with you after the read.

"Prime Meridian" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This is a novella, so the author is given the page count to explore, not space, or any technology, but the human heart. We meet Amelia, we become Amelia. Moreno-Garcia effectively builds empathy with this character who has always dreamed of going to Mars. This novella reminds me of Hesse's "Steppenwolf" - it makes me feel less alone.

"Triceratops" by Ian McHugh

This reminds me of Jurassic Park but instead of dinosaurs we are bringing back lost branches of the human family; and creating new ones - like the Neanderthal and Sapiens hybrid. I would not have thought it but I found the story rivetting.

"Mines" by Eleanor Arnason

This is about a war conducted in another planet by Earth factions. In particular we are introduced to a veteran of that war. Unfortunately I found the story lacking in structure; it was a bit all over the place.

"There Used to Be Olive Trees" by Rich Larson

In this story we encounter a remnant of humanity struggling with the machines of previous generation; an inheritance they do not understand. Their relationsbip to these mysterious machine has morphed into a kind of religion. The story informs us of the need to persevere above all, it also - before it ends - introduces a possible tangent which could possibly change the status quo. I love the understated yet fascinating vibe that the story imparts.

"Whending My Way Back Home" by Bill Johnson

This is a story about time travel and the people and organizations who undertake it. I loved the elements of this story but I spent too much time being uncomfortable struggling to understand it. The author kept his cards too close to his chest. It would be helpful if the story had more context or communicated a framework for the reader's understanding of what is going on.

"Death on Mars" by Madeline Ashby

This story transpires between people sent to Mars to prepare it for human occupation. It's a very dramatic piece that I found to be ineffective because there simply isn't enough narrative space in a short story to make the reader closely empathize with the characters and share in their emotional reactions. What happens is that the story is dripping with drama that I could not relate to.

"Elephant on Table" by Bruce Sterling

This story is about an advanced "stealth house" for celebrities and a particular celebrity in particular. I absolutely hate this story. For one thing it's too enamored with policitians. Secondly, there is something off with the caretakers of this "stealth house". The events in this story is really much ado about nothing.

"Number Thirty-Nine Skink" by Suzanne Palmer

This is about a robot transport sent as part of a team to terraform the planet. The robot is capable of "printing" new kinds of life to populate the planet. Im reading this and I'm reading about how an AI grows and learn; more than that, the AI manages to "absorb" the personality of a human and begins to exhibit human behavior. It's a fascinating read as it allows us to explore the flora and fauna of a strange planet but it is also bittersweet.

"A Series of Steaks" by Vina Jie-Min Prasad

This is about using technology to create food. I found the story thoroughly enjoyable. There are several levels to this tale: It talks about the science and art of "printing" meat, it talks about expertise and work ethic, it talks about working under pressure, and it talks about fighting back.

"The Last Boat-Builder in Ballyvoloon" by Finbarr O'Reilly

There is a bit of horror to this science fiction story. It talks about mankind bioengineering squids to take care of the pollution problem - an initiative that grows out of control. It is partly epistolary, using newspaper clippings to acquaint us with what happened since the squids were created. A fascinating read throughout.

"The Residue of Fire" by Robert Reed

This is the only story in this collection that I was not able to finish. I gave it several pages but still could not understand it beyond a sense that it was about time travel.

"Sidewalks" by Maureen F. McHugh

What I like about "Sidewalks" is that it suggests that strange, nearly unbelievable things can lurk just below the surface of our familiar reality.

"Nexus" by Michael F. Flynn

"Nexus" reminds me of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Avengers, and The Justice League. This novella brings together a bunch of "science fiction characters". They are introduced, one by one, and Flynn puts them on a trajectory for collision course at the finale of the story. It all makes for an absorbing and fun read and humor is sprinkled througout.